In manufacturing and assembly facilities, such as automotive assembly facilities, for example, a production or assembly line may have scores of work stations each of which utilize one or more hand tools, such as pneumatic or electric motor screw drivers, nut tightening socket tools, or drills, for example.
During a normal shift, a worker may repetitively operate a tool hundreds of times. As a result, significant stresses and strains on the muscles, tendons and ligaments on a worker's arms and hands may result. Many studies have been conducted regarding an ailment identified as carpal tunnel syndrome and a great deal of research has been conducted on the linkage between the stress and strain a worker is subject to during operation of these hand tools and this carpal tunnel syndrome. Severe cases of carpal tunnel syndrome require surgery to decompress the carpal tunnel and relieve pressure on the median nerve. During post operative recovery from carpal tunnel syndrome surgery, use of a patient's hands may be severely limited for extended periods of time.
Many of the tools used in manufacturing and assembly facilities are generally in the shape of a pistol and include a handle portion depending from a motor-tool portion. The handle includes an index finger operated trigger for allowing the power source, usually pressurized air, to be admitted to the lower portion of the handle and traverse up through the handle to a motor, and thence from the motor back through the handle to an exhaust at the lower end again.
Manually, the handles are designed to accept the hand of most customers, and some have been provided with a non-flexible, rigid contour suitable for a wide variety of hand sizes. This is not at all satisfactory in view of the wide varieties of hand sizes.
Modern manufacturing and assembly facilities, such as automobile plants, often require workers to rotate among different stations to perform different tasks with different tools. Boredom by the workers is somewhat alleviate through frequent assignment rotation. Furthermore, cross training of workers to perform multiple tasks allows for decreased headcount and reduced downtime since idle workers can be moved to points of need resultant from increased demand or absenteeism. Thus, a need exists for a system of tools which perform different utilitarian functions that is adapted to receive a removable handle assembly formed to the hand of a specific user.
In an effort to relieve the harshness of the operation of these tools, attempts have been made to produce handles either with soft surfaces, or of a moldable material to allow the operator to create a personalized grip to fit comfortably within the operator's hand.